How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
Right then no one was around, except me, and Lencho kept searching for somebody to take off his gloves. Even when Boise came over—his own gloves off and, with his two naked hands, shook Lencho's arms—Lencho looked down at his gloves sort of funny, the way you look at a dog that has just dug up your garden, halfway angry at the dog and halfway sad about the garden. A hunk of concrete weighed my chest and gopher teeth were gnawing at my heart, but I went over and began peeling the tape and undoing the laces—because Lencho wanted somebody to take off his gloves. (7.114)
Any hesitancy Manny might've had about supporting the boxing team is totally out the window now. When Lencho is feeling pretty beat up after his boxing match, it's a sorry sight, but Manny knows that community is bigger than the big beating Lencho just took. And that's why he pushes past his physical and emotional disappointment and helps out his bud. Manny turns out to be quite the team player these days, and this makes him a big asset to his community.
Quote #8
Mom had her suspicions. She pulled me over and told me to help drag Magda inside. Gossip had a way of spreading around the housing projects quicker than dry burning grass. (8.4)
We've officially found the downside to community in this book: gossip. Living close to your neighbors might have its advantages, but when Magda's pregnant and losing the baby, Mom knows that privacy is key. Are there instances in the book when gossip really does end up causing problems for our characters? Or is this something they worry about without ever really seeing its negative side?
Quote #9
"These people," the lady said, sitting down beside my mom. "I can't stand them, either. It's like they care more about the gavachos than they do about us." […]
The lady reached out and put her hand on Mom's lap. As she did, a tear from Mom's eye dropped on her arm, and quickly, the lady rubbed it off, as if it burned. (8.38-39)
When Mom and Manny take Magda to the hospital, they don't find a ton of kindness in the waiting room. But for a moment there's a lady waiting there who actually shows Mom what community is all about—she might be a stranger, but she tries to reach out and make Mom feel better about the rude receptionist. It's a super nice moment, right? Unfortunately, though, it looks to us like this lady's idea of community only goes so far.